Mystery in the Flame
by Hallie -Dove
Summary: Ryli comes to stay at the Cherry Temple and Rei ponders who she is and where she's from. The answer may shock you. Written to the American Version, since I'm not familiar with the Jap. Version, so don't kill me please! (A little ReiChad, JediateRei later)
1. Arriving

Rei came into the Temple one afternoon after a hard day of work, sweating just a tad. Her long black hair was down and pulled back into the ribbon Chad had given her a while back. The cool breeze swept down on the temple as fall was approaching.

"Hi Grandpa! What's that you've got there?" asked Rei as she looked down to find him holding a envelope, his eyes bent over the letter.

"A letter just arrived from your cousin in America. She's coming to stay with us," said her short grandfather, smiling. "We're going to have another helping hand. I hope she's better than Chad."

"Really," said Rei, who had no idea she had a cousin in America.

-Flash Forward-

"What's her name?" asked Mina at the meeting that night. Rei snapped back from thinking about her conversation with her Grandpa that very morning.

"Um...I think he said it was Ryli Carson or something rather," she said, looking up from her notebook.

"I don't get math!" shouted Serena from the end of the table. She was still having problems with the same equation she'd started on an hour ago.

"That doesn't surprise me," said Ami patiently as she began to explain it to her again.

"Does this mean she'll be staying here with you?" asked Lita, now thinking about it.

"Yeah, I guess that's what Grandpa said," said Rei in response.

"That name, it reminds me of something but what?" said Lita aloud to herself.

The girls worked the rest of the night and went home around ten, because Serena took forever finishing her history essay. All the girls said their farewells and Rei sighed when they were all gone before heading back in the temple. Opening the door to the room she usually meditated in, however, she collided with none other than Chad, the former rock star.

"Hey Chad, what are you doing still up?"

"Just checking to see where you were," he mumbled, sticking his hand behind his head, his hand barely touching his brown hair.

"Did you get the room done for Ryli?" she asked.

"Yep," he replied.

"Great. Well, I better hurry up if I'm going to get to bed before midnight," said Rei, sidestepping him.

"Yeah," said Chad as she closed the door.

Once inside, she relaxed then started her meditation. Sun, moon, earth, star, sun, moon, earth, star...Then suddenly gasped...

Try as she like, Ryli couldn't escape the thought of the world she'd left behind. She had been spared while others were killed. Holding back tears, she continued to walk down the sidewalk, not knowing where she was going or even caring if it came to that.

Flash Back-

"Go Ryli, I'm serious!" said Sailor Jupiter. Just then, one of the monsters fired back and she laid a minute later sprawled on the ground. "Go! I can take care of myself!" She could tell just by the look in her eyes that she was dead serious. Sighing, she took off and ran over to an old oak tree she liked to read under. This was it. Holding up her key, she shouted, "Mars Portal!" Instantly, she was transported to another dimension.

End Flash Back-

Now she was here. 'I hope Lita's ok,' she thought silently. Just then, there came a rustling noise from her bag and out popped a cat.

"You know, you should put more holes in this thing," whined the cat who had, at the moment, frizzy white hair. "I can't breathe."

"Shut up Milkyway! I'm trying to think," retorted Ryli back as she turned a corner. "And I'm trying to find somewhere we can ask for directions...Everything's different here."

"How about we go there? They have milkshakes," purred Milkyway, looking over at a restaurant up ahead..

"You are the worlds worst at eating milkshakes," Ryli sighed, heading toward the shop.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Milkyway.

"Let's put it this way; I have to bath you every time you eat one." Entering the shop, she walked over to the register and timidly said, "Excuse me sir. I'm new here and was wondering if you could point out to me the temple that Rei Hino owns? Something by the name of...Cherry..."

"How about I get a map?" he asked, trying to be helpful.

"Uh, sure, I guess," said Ryli, sitting down in a twisting chair; Milkyway still in her back pack, squirming.

"Hey, did you say you need directions to Cherry Temple?" said a voice from behind, making her whip around. It belonged to none other than Serena's younger brother, Sammy. Ryli couldn't help but stare at him for a while, thinking to herself, 'Don't I know him?' However, she gave her head a shake before opening her mouth and muttering dumbly, "Yeah, I believe that's it."

"My sister's friend, Rei Hino, is the one who owns it; along with her grandfather. I can take you there if you like, but first I'm going to get a milkshake," said Sammy to Ryli as he sat down by her.

"Now your talking my language," smirked the man, coming back. He had short blonde hair and a familiar air to him as well. "What will it be then?"

"Vanilla," said Sammy, dishing out a dollar. "What about you?" Blushing, she politely said, "I don't have any money on hand."

"That's ok, I'll pay," he said, grabbing forth another dollar.

"What'll it be?" asked the man.

"Chocolate," she muttered still kind of embarrassed.

Just as the man left to get their orders, boys about Sammy's age came up and started talking to them. At first Ryli thought they were his friends, but she was sadly mistaken.

"How did you manage to get one girl as beautiful as her to come here with you," said probably the most ugliest one out of the whole group.

"Now that you mention it, I don't think I've met her before," said one that was sort of cute with dark brown hair and emerald green eyes.

Once Ryli saw where this was going, she glared at each one in turn and replied, "You really want to know how? He treats me like I have a brain, unlike you pigs who only go by looks. You guys are really pompous, aren't you?"

This puzzled the boys greatly, the word 'pompous' too hard for them to comprehend.

"That's ok, every girl falls for Nathan anyway," said the same emerald green eyed one from earlier, trying to end the conversation. "Let's go to the arcade." Just as he was about to go out the door, he doubled back like he'd forgotten something and muttered to Sammy, "See you later Sammy. Give me a call."

"Bye Tom," he said barely above a whisper to himself. Then he turned around and started on his milkshake the man had just delivered.

"Is that one, Tom, your friend?" asked Ryli, trying to get a conversation started.

"Yeah, but none of the other ones," he said in thought. Then he looked over at her, wryly smiling. "Sorry about them by the way, they're really rude sometimes."

"You sure? I could have sworn they were always like that," said Ryli, managing to get Sammy to laugh. He looked better when he was happy. "These are the best milkshakes I've ever tasted."

"I know, that's why I come here everyday after school," said Sammy, swirling his straw around in his ice-cream. "Speaking of which, when are you coming to school? If you are, I mean..."

"Yeah, I am, but I don't know when," she told him.

"Well, if you go tomorrow I can walk you. Here's my number," said Sammy, writing it down on a napkin and handing it to her.

"Thanks."

After they finished, Sammy opened the door for them to leave. It was sunny out now, having rained not too long ago. A gentle breeze filled the air, and she stopped about a few blocks away from the milkshake shop to let Milkway out. She might as well let her enjoy the good weather and exercise some.

"I didn't know you had a cat in there. What's her name?" asked Sammy curiously.

"Er, Dotty," she said, making one up of course. Milkyway glared but didn't mouth off.

Sammy walked her all the way to the temple, talking to her the whole time. When they arrived, Ryli was shocked. The temple was much nicer than she'd imagined it.

Right outside the front door, Sammy was about to tell her goodbye when suddenly he collapsed, and out from him emitted a key, glowing extremely bright with a white fire surrounding it. She'd seen this before...

"Sammy," she said to her lifeless friend as something hopped out from behind a tree. It was one of those unknown people she'd heard about. Franticly, she grabbed the key and held it close. Then there arose a voice, shouting, "Hold it right there!"

It was the Sailor Scouts. After their usual intro phrase, they began their attack. Sailor Moon vanquished the monster and came close to getting the unknown, but it got away. Shocked, Ryli thrusted the key back in before they could see something was odd about it. Sammy woke up, gasping to see his sisters and co. (back to normal) by him and Ryli.

"This is Ryli everyone," he said hoarsely.


	2. Stunned

That very next morning Ryli walked into the kitchen, surprised to find Rei still eating. Last night was a blur to her; meeting Rei, Chad, and Rei's grandfather, then collapsing on her bed and going into a deep sleep. Avoiding Rei's eyes, Ryli sat down and started to fill her plate.

"Um, Rei?" she asked, unsure if she should.

"Yes?"

"Well," she began, "do I have to go to school today?"

"Now, why are you worried about that?" Rei asked in her even tone.

"I just need to know!" Ryli persisted.

"In that case, no; I still have papers to fill out and sign, not to mention drop them off at the local junior high. I'll probably have that done this afternoon."

"Ok," she replied, finishing her food quickly. "Guess I'll do my chores then."

"Your what?"

"Oh, well, I assumed I'd have chores," she said quickly. "Most people in temples have chores."

"If you want them that badly," smirked Rei, "I'll give you some then. Scrub the floors, dust the wooden objects only, clean the laundry, and wash the dishes. That enough?"

"Yep, that'll do it."

After calling Sammy to let him know she wouldn't be going, she took care of her chores. Rei dropped her jaw and gapped at Ryli when she found her on their new computer surfing the net around noon that very same day. She'd stayed home from school to help out around the temple, and to make sure Ryli was settled in.

"There is no way you're done yet," she stated thickly. "The floors are-," she looked down, "-scrubbed. The wood is-," she looked around at all the cabinets, "dusted. What about the laundry-," her eyes rested on the empty laundry basket, then over to the empty sink. "Oh, forget it."

Rei, who was very unhappy that some thirteen year old beat her at finishing her chores replied, "I'll go prepare lunch." Then left. Pleased with herself, Ryli continued to search around the net.

She happened to be wearing at the moment the same outfit that Rei said they wore at school. Fat chance she would wear it anywhere else but there after today. The outfits were too plain and did not meet this tomboy's taste.

"Excuse me, are you Ryli Carson?" asked Rini that afternoon, entering the temple. She had pink, puffy hair, up in cone shaped pigtails and had on her school uniform.

"That would be me," said Ryli, extending her hand.

"They'll get along just fine," Serena told Rei in the background.

"Yeah, they will, but I was about to freak out today. She finished her chores before me like she'd been doing them all her life," said Rei in thought.

"Welcome to my life," replied Serena, slapping her back. "Rini freaks me out everyday."

Even though she didn't know her, Serena couldn't help but stare at the raven haired thirteen year old for a few moments before snapping back to reality.

"So," said Ryli, full of curiosity, "how old are you anyway?"

Yet, before Rini could answer something beeped on her wrist. It was her watch. Actually, in truth it was a communicator the scouts used to contact each other. Sighing, Rini, Serena, and Rei apologized for having to leave and left. Ryli stood rooted to the spot for a second, confused. Then she realized why they had to leave and took off herself, following them in secret.

The Sailor Scouts went dashing into an old abandon warehouse where Ami had detected the monster and Unknown where located.

"Be on the look out," muttered Sailor Moon.

"Right," responded the other sailors as they made a circle.

Serena, Mina, Lita, Rei, Ami, and Rini were all transformed and ready for whatever the monster and unknown had planned. Darien, Tuxedo Mask, was up around the ceiling area. Now was the wait.

"Why isn't-," started Mina, but stopped short and collapsed down to the ground. Like the day before, out from her came a key, as ordinary as could be except it had little wings and her sign of Venus on it. An unknown henchmen appeared and checked it as a monster jumped out as well from the darkness. The scouts started battling the monster as Darien came down to take the key from the unknown. Yet, the unknown was faster and attacked Tuxedo Mask with a sword which came out of nowhere. That's how they started fighting.

"This'll be your end," said the unknown once they got on a platform high up. Making a slashing movement, the unknown pierced Tuxedo's stomach and he started to bleed. As Tuxedo Mask stooped and placed his hand on the wound, the unknown shoved him off the platform.

Tuxedo fell through the air in deep pain. Luckily, Rei and Lita managed to catch him.

"It's got the key," breathed Tuxedo, still clutching at his stomach.

Just then, however, another figure hopped in front of the unknown and grabbed the key from him. Then it jumped and landed a few feet away from Mina's lifeless body.

"You're not taking it," said the mysterious woman, who they could barely make out. Turning, she walked back to Mina and shoved the key back carefully till Mina absorbed it.

After that, the mysterious woman left out into the night, leaving the Sailors stunned. Another scout?

Hallie: If you haven't noticed, I've revised the first few chapters. I hope there a little less confusing. Also, an update is on it's way so stay tuned!


End file.
